Key element for concrete blocks



June 1967 5. J. MORAETES I KEY ELEMENT FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Aug. 12, 1964 FIG.4 .6

SPIROSJ. MORAETES ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,325,956 KEY ELEMENT FOR 0NRETE BLGCKS Spires J. Moraetes, 2105 th Ave., East Moline, Ill. 61244 Filed Feb. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,471 3 (Jiaims. (Cl. 52585) This invention relates to Wall structures and the like made of concrete blocks. While at the present time concrete blocks are available in numerous forms and configurations, the kind of block almost universally available is one having two or three cored openings therethrough. These openings are usually tapered extending from one side of the block to the other, and the blocks normally are laid up with the tapered openings extending vertically in the wall with the smaller end of each opening lying in the upper face of the block while the larger end of each opening lies in the lower face of the block.

The object and general nature of my invention is the provision of a lock or keying element that is particularly adapted to serve as means preventing any undesirable shifting of one block relative to the other. More specifically, it is a feature of this invention to provide a locking element particularly shaped and dimensioned to cooperate with concrete blocks of the above mentioned kind, where the locking elements are so fashioned that a larger portion is adapted to rest on the upper face of the associated concrete block and a smaller portion is adapted to pass down into the smaller end of the tapered opening at the upper face of the concrete block, said larger portion being thus adapted to receive the larger end of the tapered opening at the lower face of the upper or companion concrete block.

A further feature of this invention is to provide locking or keying elements so constructed and arranged that they serve to lock the blocks together irrespective of whether they are laid up as a tier or column or as courses with broken joints.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through a portion of a concrete block wall and showing two of the lock members of this invention in section.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the normally top side of a conventional concrete block, being the side that receives the mortar with blocks 25 shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the normally bottom side of a conventional concrete block with blocks 25 shown in sections.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one form of applicants block lock, showing in particular the normally upper side thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the normally lower side of applicants concrete block lock.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, somewhat similar to FIG. 1, showing applicants locks used in laying up concrete blocks in the form of a tier or column.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I have shown a part of a concrete block wall laid up in horizontal courses with the ends of the blocks lying directly above the central parts of the blocks of the next lower course. The blocks illustrated are of conventional construction, each including two cored openings 0 which are tapered to permit ready extraction of the cores during manufacture of the blocks. Thus, each block has its normally upper face provided with two small openings 10 While the normally lower face has two larger openings 11, as will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3. By virtue of this construction the area of the upper faces to which mortar may be applied 7 3,325,956- Patented June 20, 1967 ice is appreciably greater than the area of the lower face (FIG. 3) that becomes bedded in the mortar, thus providing a larger mortar bedding area. As is conventional, each of the two openings is substantially identical, the larger end of each of the openings (FIG. 3) being of a width greater than one-half the width of the block and of a length such that the web portion 26 in the block is approximately the width of the web portions between the openings and the sides s, and in any event less than onequarter of the width of the block between the sides s. It should also be noted that the width of the web 26 is about the same as the width of the webs 27 which are disposed between the openings and the ends e.

FIG. 1 illustrates the relation between the adjacent portions of the core openings of the upper and lower blocks, and to accommodate these relations the block locks or keying elements are made with a special configuration. Each lock or keying element, indicated by the reference numeral 15, includes an upper or larger section 16, having the configuration indicated in FIG. 3, and a companion lower section 17, having the configuration indicated in FIG. 2. It will be seen, therefore, that the lock or keying element is particularly shaped and constructed to fit snugly within both the larger end 11 of the cored opening and the smaller end 10. The lateral dimensions, transversely of the concrete block, correspond to the lateral dimensions, respectively, of the cored openings 0. This serves to prevent any lateral shifting of one block relative to the other.

As constructed, my looks or keying elements 15 also serve to prevent any longitudinal shifting of the concrete blocks. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the vertical coplanar face 19 is common to the two key sections 16 and 17 and engages the adjacent portion 21 of the larger core opening 11 while the opposite end portion 22 of the smaller key section 17 engages the edge 23 of the small opening. This arrangement prevents any longitudinal shifting, especially when the concrete blocks are laid in a running bond, illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates the use of applicants keying elements when the concrete blocks are laid in columnar or tier fashion; that is, one block directly over the other. The locks 15 are placed substantially as they are in FIG. 2, namely, with the larger sections 16 overlying the upper face of the lower concrete block. Thus, the upper block may be readily lowered into position since the upper section 16 fits within the lower larger end of the cored opening in the upper block with a fair degree of snugness, particularly laterally of the block. This serves to prevent any lateral shifting of one concrete block relative to the other. The locks 15 also act to prevent lateral and also longitudinal shifting of the columnar blocks (FIG. 6) for the openings 0 in the blocks are tapered toward the center of the block, as indicated at t, FIGS. 2 and 3, and the keys or locks 15 also have their larger sections 16 correspondingly shaped, as at T. Thus, the locks 15 cannot shift longitudinally of the blocks.

Each of the locks 15 is formed with a notch 25 that provides a space through which conduits, pipes and the like may be passed when it is desired to install such parts within the wall.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A lock for concrete blocks of the type in which each block is provided with one or more tapered openings and in which in building a wall, the blocks are laid up with the small ends of the openings facing upwardly at the upper sides of the blocks, said lock comprising a keying element having a first section, a second section, and a generally central opening passing through both of said sections, the first section being larger in area both transversely and longitudinally than the second section and interfitted in the larger end of the associated tapered opening of the upper block, and the second section being smaller than the first section and fitted into the smaller end of the associated tapered opening in the lower block.

2. A lock for concrete blocks of the type in which each block is provided with one or more tapered openings and in which intbuilding a WalL'the blocks are laid up with the small ends of the openings facing upwardly at the upper sides of the blocks, said lock comprising a keying element having a first section and a second section, the first section being of a length and width greater than that of the second section and interfitted in the larger end of the associated tapered opening of the upper block, and the second section being fitted into the smaller end of the associated tapered opening in the lower block, one face of each of said first and second sections lying in a common plane generally perpendicular to the planes of the adjacent block faces.

3. A lock for concrete blocks of the type in which each block has two substantially identical tapered openings, the larger end of each of the openings being of a width greater than one-half the Width of the block and of a length such that the Width of the web portion in the block between the two openingsis substantially equal to the width of the web portion between the openings and the ends of the block, the blocks when building a wall being laid up with the small ends of the openings facing upwardly at the upper sides of the blocks, saidlock comprising a keying element having a first section and a second section, the first section being longer and Wider than the second section, the width being such that the second section may be closely interfitted into the larger end of the associated tapered opening in the upper block and the Width of the second section being such that it is fitted closely into the smaller end of the associated tapered opening in the lower block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,514,081 11/1924 Hahn 52-281 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,134,188 9/1955 France.

1,274,931 9/ 1961 France.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examiner. 

1. A LOCK FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS OF THE TYPE IN WHICH EACH BLOCK IS PROVIDED WITH ONE OR MORE TAPERED OPENINGS AND IN WHICH IN BUILDING A WALL, THE BLOCKS ARE LAID UP WITH THE SMALL ENDS OF THE OPENINGS FACING UPWARDLY AT THE UPPER SIDES OF THE BLOCKS, SAID LOCK COMPRISING A KEYING ELEMENT HAVING A FIRST SECTION, A SECOND SECTION, AND A GENERALLY CENTRAL OPENING PASSING THROUGH BOTH OF SAID SECTIONS, THE FIRST SECTION BEING LARGER IN AREA BOTH TRANSVERSELY AND LONGITUDINALLY THAN THE SECOND SECTION AND INTERFITTED IN THE LARGER END OF THE ASSOCIATED TAPERED OPENING OF THE UPPER BLOCK, AND THE SECOND SECTION BEING SMALLER THAN THE FIRST SECTION AND FITTED INTO THE SMALLER END OF THE ASSOCIATED TAPERED OPENING IN THE LOWER BLOCK. 